FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a double-damper apparatus for operating opening/closing plates such as baffles for two openings using a driving source such as a motor, and more particularly to a double-damper apparatus suited to control intake of cool air in a refrigerator.
A duct (passage) for supplying cool air in a freezer compartment into a refrigerator compartment or a crisper is provided on the rear of a refrigerator. Conventionally, in order to adjust the temperature in a chamber such as a refrigerator compartment, within the duct, a damper apparatus is provided for passing/interrupting the cool air in the freezer compartment for the refrigerator compartment. Further, a double-damper apparatus capable of passing/interrupting the cool air for two chambers by a single apparatus has been also disclosed (JP-A-10-306970). These damper apparatus are driven under the control by a microcomputer arranged in the freezer compartment.
The double-damper apparatus disclosed in JP-A-10-306970, which is a prior art for the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, includes a driving portion 51 incorporating a motor (not shown), two frame portions 52 and 53 arranged on both sides of the driving portion 51, and two open/close members 54 and 55 which are coupled with the driving portion 51 and rotated by the driving force of the driving portion 51. The frame portions 52 and 53 have openings 56 and 57, respectively, which are inlets of fluid channels to other chambers (e.g. refrigerator compartment and crisper). The one open/close member 54 individually opens/closes the opening 56 whereas the other open/close member 55 individually opens/closes the opening 57. Thus, the cool air is passed to or interrupted from each chamber.
However, if the fitting of the damper apparatus built in each fluid channel in the heat-insulating member 60 is loosened slightly, the sealing property of the abutting portion .alpha. on the heat-insulating member 60 (FIG. 9) will be deteriorated. Specifically, since the heat-insulating member 60 is formed of Styrofoam, the size of the slot for fitting the double-damper cannot be defined so precisely. As a result, a gap g is generated between the damper apparatus and heat-insulating member. This gap g connects both fluid channels linearly. As a result, the cool air on the one fluid channel is likely to leak into the other fluid channel (direction of arrow X-X' in FIG. 8), thus proving a problem for managing the temperature in each chamber.
However, if the fitting of the damper apparatus built in each fluid channel in the heat-insulating member 60 is loosened slightly, the sealing property of the abutting portion .alpha. on the heat-insulating member 60 (FIG. 9) will be deteriorated. Specifically, since the heat-insulating member 60 is formed of Styrofoam, the size of the slot for fitting the double-damper cannot be defined so precisely. As a result, a gap g is generated between the damper apparatus and heat-insulating member. This gap g connects both fluid channels linearly. As a result, the cool air on the one fluid channel is likely to leak into the other fluid channel (direction of arrow X-X' in FIG. 8), thus proving a hitch of managing the temperature in each chamber.